Hearts Preserved in Sapphire
by Homer4242
Summary: L is locked in a tower and longs for true love. Light is the prince of thieves and searches for his past. Mix of fairy tales. LxLight/MattxMello
1. Prologue

**Homer: **Um… Hey *nervous* I'm Homer, and this is my first ever fanfiction! I'm writing it with my friend, **NecroHolic**, so check her out! (yes, like that)**  
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**Holic:** *evil smirk*

**Homer: **(she's a pedophile! XD) Yeah, and please please please review! It'll help me write faster; it took me _two months_ to write this little booger due to my extreme case of laziness.**  
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**Holic: **I hate her so much right now… but you won't have to worry about that for the next chapter because I'LL BE WRITING IT! XD

**Homer:** WHOO! BREAK FOR ME! XDD**  
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**DISCLAIMER: **WE DON'T OWN THE AMAZING SHIT THAT IS DEATH NOTE! That belongs to Obata-chan and Ohba-sensei.  
>Yeah, I said "chan" Obata. u mad bro? come at me.<p>

_**ENJOY~~~**_

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><p>Once upon a time, in the Kingdom Mortalitas…<p>

"Lawliet, come here my son! I have a gift for you," The fair duchess called from her seat near the large stairway, her long obsidian hair falling gently on her shoulders. She wore an elegant gown that gripped her figure like a glove. She held a small, green velvet box in her lap, the lights from the ball room reflecting off of the fine fibers, tricking his eyes so that it looked golden.

Lawliet, excited about the unexpected gift, grinned at his mother and ran through the crowd of waltzing couples. Many of the guests were important political leaders and people of high birth and Lawliet knew they deserved respect, so he kindly apologized, "Pardon me " as he scurried by.

He ran up to his mother and took her hands in his. "Mother! The…presents aren't to be opened…until later," he said, still breathless from his run. A smile appeared on her pale lips.

"This is a very special gift, Lawliet," she told him tenderly whilst clasping a gold chain around his neck. Lawliet looked down at it, a navy octagon dangled at his chest. He noticed it was made of pure sapphire, flattened and smoothed. He turned it in his hands, admiring the deep color and texture, like he was holding the vast ocean in his hands. As he looked closer, he saw a letter imprinted into the stone.

"L," he looked up at his mother questioningly.

"Yes," she answered his unspoken question, "The family crest."

"But it's just a letter…" he searched for something else, something more prominently royal around the Gothic lettering.

"Yes, the Lawsford family has always gone by that crest," she pointed to the gleaming stone in his left hand, "This is the key," then she gently took Lawliet's free hand and placed the ornate box in his open palm, "And this is your heart." He looked back at her, confused.

"Never lose them, Lawliet, they are a part of you."

His mother then grabbed the stone hanging from Lawliet's neck and slipped it vertically into a thin slot at the side of the box, she turned it clockwise twice, the top of the box opened, the bottom of the lid was a glazed painting of a white wolf. Two faceless, porcelain figures dressed in royal clothing rose from the bottom and began to dance. As they danced, rich and beautiful music flowed from the box. His mother began to hum to the tune, her voice a bit deep and raspy from her earlier illness. Lawliet hummed with her, his voice higher.

"Remember yourself, once upon an October, Lawliet," she said when the music stopped. She kissed him on the forehead and watched as he ran back into the sea of dancers.

The attack began when the clock had struck twelve, as if on some deranged cue.

The majority of the guests had already left by then, only a select few remained. The Lawsford's were sitting at one of the tables lining the sides of the room and Lawliet was munching on a slice of cake, boredly listening to his parents talking to the most important guests, the Royal Family. The Royal Family and the Lawsfords were close due to the fact that Lawliet's own father held a seat on the Royal Court.

Lawliet, being unable to sleep most the time, was forced to listen to their "adult conversations" about economics and politics and other things that didn't spark his interest. Sometimes they mentioned cases that were going on and Lawliet would pop in and say something witty about it, and he would get the smiles and praises he loved so much. But at the moment, their conversation included nothing about detectives and mysteries.

He heard the musicians play tirelessly as love-struck couples danced, lost in their own worlds. Lawliet stopped listening to the adult's conversation on Yostuba's economic rise and the industrial revolution, and watched the happy people dancing together. He thought how more gracefully they danced than the ballerinas he saw with his parents last week. _Is it because they're in love? he thought, subconsciously fiddling with the sapphire key around his neck. _I wonder if I'll ever find love…-__

A small noise and a movement next to him interrupted his thoughts. He looked over and saw the King and Queen's son sleeping in the chair beside him, who had passed out a while ago, exhausted from dancing with a woman too old for him. The boy prince was only a few years younger than Lawliet, but he had managed to steal all of his game; and it was his birthday! _Being royalty must have the advantages, Lawliet thought bitterly and glared at the sleeping boy. He remembered the adults laughing and saying how good friends they would become, and the little prick's smirk at this._

If his parent's thought he could be friends with that _thing, they were dead wrong!_

Lawliet kicked the boy right in his angelic face, knowing the scolding he would get from his parents would be worth it.

"Lawliet!" he heard his father's angry voice. He was a bit disappointed to see that the boy wasn't reacting as Lawliet wanted him to. At first he was startled at the sudden kick, but then he sent Lawliet a death glare from his position on the floor. He rubbed his cheek as he slowly got back up, then suddenly he punched Lawliet right back.

"~~~~~!" Lawliet heard the King's voice, but didn't make out what he said.

The two boys fell on the floor, sending repetitive kicks and punches each others way. The other guests had stopped and looked over to see what was going on. After a few good blows, the adults were finally able to break up the fight, leaving Lawliet with a black eye and the prince with a broken nose, both panting heavily and glaring at each other.

A large gust of wind blew open the heavy wooden doors that entered into the ball room. A woman, dressed in an all black robe with the hood covering her face, rushed into the open room. Seeing this person struck fear into Lawliet and he wanted to run, but something stopped him.

"Where is the boy!" the mysterious woman boomed, looking straight ahead. He felt his father's strong arms squeeze his shoulders protectively.

"We had an agreement," the woman stated, "I heal your wife, I take your unborn child at the age of seven," she flipped her head around to the other side of where Lawliet was, "WHERE ARE YOU!"

The other guests began to run out the door. The woman turned to their side. Lawliet saw a smirk grow on her face.

"There you are," she chuckled. Lawliet's mother suddenly wrapped her arms around him, and his father stepped in front of them.

"What are you going to do _mortal? How can you possibly stop a witch?" she laughed as she sauntered towards them. Lawliet saw his music box lying on the floor across from him, he must have dropped it when he was fighting._

_Never lose them... his mother's words rang through his head. He clutched the sapphire around his neck and pushed himself from his mother's arms._

"No! LAWLIET!" his mother screamed as he dashed for the green box.

"Lawliet? What a suitable name," the woman cooed as she walked towards him.

He quickly grabbed the box before the witched reached him. He ran back to his parents, but then he felt a magical net suddenly surround him.

"NO!" he heard his mother wail.

"What have you done?" his father asked as he and the King tried in vain to undo the netting.

"That rope is made with powerful magic, neither of you can pull it off," the witch announced, her face twisted in a sinister smile.

"GUARDS!" the King called.

The room filled with the Royal Guard in their dark red uniforms; Yotsuba riffles at the ready, aiming at the witch. She was surrounded.

"You're done for, witch," the King spat venomously, as she simply laughed.

"How can you possibly stop a witch?" She snapped her fingers and monstrous creatures broke through the glass windows and began to attack the Guard. Lawliet couldn't see anything face down on the ground, he could only hear it. He struggled to free himself during all the commotion. He felt himself being lifted up. He saw his parents and the King and Queen cornered by a large griffin and a red devil with a spear, but the prince had disappeared.

"You're coming with me, my flower," the witch told him and began walking towards the door, Lawliet hung on her shoulder, ignoring the bloodshed around her.

A sudden fear and anger washed over him. Now he was determined to escape and save his parent's and the King and Queen. The sheer _want he felt for his family and friends to live made him dizzy, though much more awake. His body became lighter, lighter, until he could not feel his body at all._

"Flower gleam and glow! Flower gleam and glow! Flower gleam and glow!" He repeated, feeling the magic words coarse through him as naturally as his blood.

"Huh-what? What are you doing?" The witch halted, shaking the net containing Lawliet violently.

"Flower gleam and glow! Flower gleam and glow! Flower gleam and glow!" He felt the rope loosen and disintegrate, and fell to the marble floor. He spun around and kicked the witch square in the jaw, in control of his body again. She yowled in pain and Lawliet began to run back to his parents, when he bumped into the boy prince.

"Lawliet!" the boy said, sounding relieved.

"~~~~~!" he replied, knowing he said the prince's name, but not hearing it.

"Follow me, I found a way out," he grabbed Lawliet's arm, pulling him the opposite direction of his parents.

"But, our parents…" Lawliet protested.

"Don't worry, my daddy's dealt with magic-users before, plus he's a great warrior, too! They'll be okay," he said rather proudly.

"THE BOY! LAWLIET!" he heard the witch's cry not too far behind him.

"Quickly!" The prince commanded. They ran off to the far wall near the stairs and the prince opened a hidden door in the wall. Lawliet could see the outside!

"You first," the boy nudged Lawliet towards the door. As he did, Lawliet's music box fell out of his pocket again and rolled onto the floor. He watched it roll to a fallen soldier a few feet away.

"My music box!" Lawliet reached for it, but was stopped by the prince.

"I'll get it to you, but you have to escape now," he pointed at the witch, lost in the crowd of battle looking for him. Lawliet looked back at the prince. The boy smiled and kissed his unbruised cheek. "I promise I'll give it back."

Lawliet touched where the boy's soft lips had been, he felt his face grow a bit warm. _He can't be. We can't-I hate him, right? Ignoring his sudden feelings, he nodded and quickly left through the small door, looking back only once to see the boy rush to retrieve his little box._

Lawliet ran through the tall grass, uncertain of where he was headed.

He felt his throat go terribly dry as he breathed the harsh October air. His ears began to itch from brushing against the sappy grass. He tripped over a juniper tree's root and fell flat on his face. Memories of him and his mother sitting together in summer reading books and eating cakes bittersweetly seeped into his mind.

"Hello, Lawliet." He whirled his head around and saw the witch standing over him, hood still covering her head, a trickle of crimson blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. His eyes widened in fear and he quickly sat up and backed into the trunk of the tree.

"You're powers are useless! You don't even know how to use them! That back there was just beginner's luck! The flower was acting on it's own!"

_Powers? What is she talking about? Sure she's a witch and can probably sense another magic user… maybe I do have magic? The rope around me did disappear- but what's this about a flower?_

"You see, Lawliet, no one's here to save you now-it's just me and you," She smiled.

He backed into the tree until it hurt.

"Look," she pointed back at his castle. He gasped in horror as flames burst out of windows and smoke filled the night sky, creating a dark purple aurora.

"No…" he choked out. Hot tears ran down his face, burning his bruised skin. "NO!" he wailed and fell down on his side. He clawed at the earth beneath him. Memories of his parents flooded his mind. The King and Queen- who would rule Mortalitas now? The prince was probably burned alive, too.

"No, no, no…" he shook his head. His heart, the velvet box, was burned along with the prince. Only the key remained, but without his heart the key was useless.

"You're an orphan now, Lawliet," the witch crouched down beside him, "You'll belong to me," She brushed back his obsidian hair, which was as beautiful as his mother's.

"No," The thought of his beloved mother, now deceased, nearly made him vomit! He clenched his hands into fists, collecting soggy dirt as he did. The witch pressed her hand to his forehead. "Let's forget this ever happened, my flower."

_Remember yourself, once upon an October, Lawliet._

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><p><strong>Homer:<strong> u liek?

**Holic: **Bye Kiddies! *rapes prince*

**Homer:** That poor prince…

Again, PLEASE REVIEW! It will be much appreciated_._


	2. The Start

**LADIES, LADIES, PLEASE CALM YOUR ORGASMS: This is just a re-write! I decided to switch Matt with Matsuda because Holic made Matt sound like a whiny bitch and I wanted to make him SUPER AWESOME— so you'll be meeting him later ;)**

**SORRY TO DISAPOINT *dodges tomatoes* NEXT CHAPTERS WILL BE UP SOON, I SWEAR! D':**

Light wormed his way out of the abandoned Ziggurat temple's crawlspace awkwardly, having to exit backwards to be able to drag the burlap sack containing the loot.

"Light!" He heard the rusty grate behind his kneeling legs slide open, "Did you get it?"

"Pull me outta this damn hole and I'll tell you!" Light yelled into the darkness, the crampt crawlspace rendering turning around impossible.

"With pleasure," his partner in crime grinned, grabbing Light by his leather-clad ankles and jerking him out.

"Ah!" Light exclaimed as he hit the mossy ground below the adjacent grate, "What the hell, Matsuda!"

"Did you get it?" The impatient thief repeated as he grabbed the burlap sack and greedily dug into it.

"No, but I got some gold." Light sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He winced as he saw the idiot dump the precious treasures carelessly on the jungle floor.

The contents of the bag were mostly gold coins and jewelry, but one artifact stood out among the rest. It was a life-sized Persian cat, carved out of white gold and glimmering with fine jewels.

"Cool…" Matsuda said absently as he stared into the cat's ruby eyes, "How much do you think it's worth?"

"Not as much as the Sapphire, but I'd say around 100 *ints."

Matsuda sighed, "It'll do."

.

The Ziggurat was hidden in the rainy forests of the North Mountains, which were south of the Yagami Palace, so Light and Matsuda had to wear heavy cloaks to keep themselves hidden on their way through the town. Eighteen years before, the Yagami King and his family died in a large fire. No one knew the cause of the fire, and no one knew who was next in line for the thrown. For a while there had been rumors that the boy prince had survived, but since there were so many orphans running around Mortalitas, and because the boy prince had not made many public appearances, no one could say for sure.

An underground group of thieves known as Kira took this chance to take control of the wealthy Mortalitas. For a while Kira prospered in Mortalitas, but for the last few years there has been a terrible drought and depression, and the people have turned against Kira.

Light was only eleven when he was brought into Kira. He lived as a street rat most of his life since age five, for as long as he could remember since he suffered from amnesia (and still does). A Kira Officer caught him stealing a loaf of bread and gave him the group. Many orphans were taken in by Kira, including Matsuda. Matsuda and Light had been friends since in the streets, and were almost inseparable- _almost_.

"Pay attention!" Light scolded like a grade school teacher, ignoring protest as he placed both chalices on the floor, out of Matsuda's reach. "We've looked here, here, and here," Light pointed to three locations on the worn maps, each marked out with a large, red _x_.

Due to Matsuda's complaining for a drink, they were sitting to the back of a small, dimly lit pub, just outside the Royal City. Both the thieves had their heavy cloaks still on; to the villagers they must have looked like gypsies- which was good, because not one person wanted to go near them and sat out of ear-shot.

"Let's go tu th' Forest Towerrrr!" slurred the drunk.

"We're already chasing one legend," Light snorted, "two is too many."

"I wanna meet a pr'tty prenceesss~!"

"No princesses, you idiot! We need to get the Sapphire- then all our problems will be solved."

"Cain we go tu th' brothel?" Matsuda pleaded, his face reddening.

"No. Focus on our mission." Light said sternly, rubbing his temples.

"We cain find th' Forest Tower 'n' as' the witch for directions tu Cibola."

"That idea," Light began harshly, though he repeated it in awe, "That idea... Might just be stupid enough to work!" Light rose from his seat.

Matsuda flashed a toothy grin as Light's pointer finger skimmed the map, looking for a path the locals said leads to a tower deep in the forest.

†

The partners in crime changed their course. Originally wanting to go back to the Yagami Palace- now Kira's Headquarters- they had instead began heading toward the South Mountains, to the north of the Palace, which was surrounded by a thick coniferous forest.

Light and Matsuda were treading through an abandoned pathway carved in stone. Underbrush threatened to trip them, low branches loomed over to hit them, and large grasses tickled their arms. Matt stopped to look up at the sky. The tops of large trees covered most of what little daylight was left, and stars were beginning to form.

"We need to stop and find shelter. Who knows what's out here at night, Light."

"I'm sure if we just follow this path, we'll get to the tower."

"But what if we don't find it by nightfall?"

"We'll look for a cottage then."

"This path is unused."

"Then we'll sleep in a tree," Light smiled back at his friend, "Keep moving."

Matsuda walked behind Light, stepping in his footsteps.

The sun continued to set and the forest floor got darker. The thieves used gas lanterns they stole from the pub to see their way around. Every movement made or sound heard made them even more alarmed. Up ahead, they saw a large glowing wasps nest. The two men slowly walked up to it and stared, bewildered, as small, red, winged people fluttered past.

"Are those… pixies?" Matsuda asked.

"Yeah… maybe."

Then suddenly the fluttering stopped. An eerie silence fell over the forest. Light and Matt looked at each other.

"Maybe they went to bed," Matsuda gulped.

Then Matsuda screamed and held his ears.

"What? What's wr- AAAAAHHHH!"

Light's ears were burning, and he felt little dozens of nails digging into his skin. Tiny, high-pitched voices yelped in his head, chanting "Out, out, out!" repeatedly. He tried to get them off, but the pixies held a tight grip. The creatures dragged the two men by the ears off the path and toward a sharp cliff.

"LET US DOWN!" Matsuda begged, his eyes wide and full of tears.

The pixies shrieked in laughter as they headed the humans closer to the edge. Matsuda continued to scream and cry as Light, as calmly as he could, tried to find a peace with death.

"_Legem saltus ducatur_!" A husk voice behind them echoed.

The pixies stopped abruptly at the sound of the voice. With their fun over, they dropped the two men on the ground safely away from the cliff, the momentum planting Matsuda's still-open mouth into a ring of multicolored mushrooms. The things mumbled to themselves as they headed off.

.

The meeting with the forest nymph, Mello, was... eventful, for Matsuda, anyways. The stark-nude boy had sprinted towards Matsuda when he fell, genitals flailing, and began tending to the dirty boy's wounds with a variety of herbs he kept knotted in blonde locks of shoulder-length hair.

"Stupid humans!" The estranged nymph scolded, throwing Matsuda and Light over his ivory shoulders, hauling them up his to tree. How the nymph managed to climb up the tree with two human men flung over both his shoulders, was a mystery.

Mello had a small shack- bigger on the inside- planted, literally, in between the branches of the large oak tree. The shack was covered in drying herbs and empty bowls of many shapes and sizes. On the floor were two leaf beds, as though he'd been expecting someone. Mello laid the thieves down on the beds rather harshly, and immediately began to treat their wounds.

"Looks like you got bit quite a lot," the nymph said as he spread a gooey, red plant sap on Matsuda's ears and face. "You're going to be swollen for the next few days." Matsuda groaned in agony at his last remark.

"Who are you?" Light asked.

"Mello the Forest Nymph. I'm only here to treat your wounds and send you on your way, because I have a lot more important things to take care of- like gardening."

All of a sudden blood started spraying from Matsuda's ears.

"Shit, boy, you've got an infection! Look's like those punks poisoned you!" the blonde laughed as he got up to fetch another plant sap, "Your pertty face'll be puffed up for weeks!" Fresh tears began to form in Matsuda's eyes.

"Mello, it's great that you're helping us and all, but we really have to go."

"But, Light! My face!"

"Matsuda will be fine, trust me."

Mello cocked an eyebrow.

"Light! It's nighttime! Who knows what's out there! Pixies! Nymphs! What's next- an ogre?"

"C'mon, idiot," Light sat up, "I have a feeling the Tower is real close- maybe even right under our noses!"

"But we lost the path- and our lanterns-"

"Tower?" Mello asked, "You wouldn't happen to be looking for L, would you?"

****ints are the unit of currency for merchants among the Kingdoms, and many con-men and thieves use it for trade, too ._. ex: 5 ints equal to $2****


	3. Meeting L, Part One: Hidden Tower

**Homer Here (fucking finally):**Thank you all so much for all the Reviews and Alerts and Favorites! They always make my day- and there are so many! :o

I have learned a valuable lesson... No… I never learn my lessons, actually :P  
>BUUUUUUUT, I will TRY to update sooner with the next chapter (idk if Holic—<em><strong>I mean Glaci<strong>_—will be doing the next chapter since she's working on something else... We've kinda forgotten about this fic, to tell ya the truth XD It's not one we particularly care for… Nevertheless:  
>- I will finish writing this.<br>-You will never see an update coming (Ninja Update, man).  
>- I will not drop this story until it is finished; no matter how many times I "miss a deadline", or "have to re-write", or I "have something important going on irlschool and it was interfering with my writing and I could never get to it in, like, three months", or how sucky it gets— I PROMISE YOU, MY LEMMINGS, I. WILL. GET. THIS. DONE. AND. IT. WILL. BE. FAR. FROM. AMAZING.)

**WARNING: **L is a bit OOC when we first meet him… but, trust me, he'll be ok later, just…. idk I just wrote it weird :P  
>Excuse the fact that this fic is terrible— let's not sugarcoat things.<p>

**JSYK: **The tower is bigger on the inside- just call it Time Lord technology ;)

**DISCLAIMER: **Death Note is in no way mine, because if it was I would have fucked it up and it would be a terrible (yet delicious) manga that could never dream of becoming an anime or movies or live-action movies or novels or games or *cries* I am depressing myself...  
>And neither are the lyrics to the spell L sings— which is from Disney's Tangled, "<em>Healing Incantation<em>" is the name of the song! That belongs FULLY to Disney! (Tangled is a great movie don't go sue little old me for a silly old fanfic like this, ehehe..)  
><strong><br>RATED "M" FOR CLOTHING**

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><p>.<p>

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The birds in the forest sang, their sweet birdsong echoing in the green valley below. L sat by the open window of the tower, in his usual crouched position. He blankly stared out at the valley, which was dark and damp and surrounded by an encircling cliff. A waterfall fell down the side of the rock on the other side of where the tower stood, it's noises hummed across the open area as it flowed into a pond behind bunches of rose bushes. The only animals that could venture into the valley were birds or faeries, and they came in many different shapes, sizes, and an assortment of colors. L wished he could be a bird; to be free from the lonely tower at last- he wanted to be free so bad- but here he stayed, and here he would stay until someone whisk him away. Problem with that was that no one came to the valley except the birds- or the occasional magic creature- so here he would accept his fate of being locked in the tower for the rest of his life. But L couldn't accept that. He would have to escape.  
>A flash of blond hair below caught his eye. Misa, his over-protective adopted mother who happened to be a very powerful witch who one did not want to cross with, was standing close to the tower's stone wall, carrying a basket locked around her arm. She tapped the stone four times, and a door appeared which she entered. L jumped from his perch and quickly began to tidy up the small living space; throwing books in chest drawers, candy wrappers under the rug, and the sapphire around his neck he stuffed in his pocket- Misa hated seeing it on him.<br>The sapphire necklace belonged to his birth mother, Misa had explained, and L was wearing it when the witch found him in the forest. Misa said his mother must have given it to him to protect him from the demons and goblins that roamed the woods at night, and he was lucky she found him. She didn't like seeing it on him because she felt L would forget about her; but Misa was the only mother L could remember, so he loves her, even if she's strict, and annoying, and sometimes a bit bipolar- she's his mother. **[**D'aww what a sensitive moment**]**  
>The doorknob on the door leading to the stairs rattled and L swiftly sat back down on the daybed, staring out into his small world in the valley, as though nothing had happened. A split second later Misa's head popped out, and L winced at the sight of the biggest and brightest smile he'd ever seen. Misa happily placed the basket she carried on a small, wooden table and skipped toward L.<br>"Happy Birthday, my son!," She cheered as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, "Oh, I'm so happy! You're so happy! Watari-" an old grey cat curled itself by the man's fallen feet"-is so happy!" L felt himself being shoot back and forth in such a way it made him sick.  
>When misa was through squeezing his insides she kissed both his cheeks and ran back to her basket. She told L to close his eyes. He hesitated at first, afraid of what the witch might do, but then, more afraid of what the witch might do if he <em>didn't<em>, he obliged. He heard the clatter of silverware and plates, and the sweet smell of cake filled the tower's room. L breathed in the delicious aroma that he hadn't smelt in what seemed like years- apart from the little chocolates Mello, the forest nymph, would bring him when Misa was away.  
>Misa never allowed such luxuries as cakes or books; so it was Mello who gave them to L, to keep him occupied in the lonely tower. When L was younger he asked Mello to take him away from the tower, but Mello explained that there was a spell put on the tower, where no one can get in or out- except Misa, because Misa knew the code that could temporarily break the spell put on the tower. But she changed the code every day, so L could never escape.<br>"Open~!," the ebullient witch's voice rang out.  
>L's eyes flew open to see not just one cake, but an abundance of different pastries from all over the Kingdom, decked out in colorful fruits and sugars. He quickly walked over to the table and shortly admired the beauty of it all before ravishing the whole pile like a starved man at his first sight of food.<br>Misa giggled as L grabbed another mini-cake and shoved it in his mouth. It was pumpkin, the flavor of fall. He could taste the cool earth the sweet-pumpkin was grown and the hot oven it was baked. He munched it as slow as he could, trying his hardest to savor the flavor in his mouth. Soon his impatience got the better of him, and he gulped down the rest, a small smile on his face.  
>"How is it?"<br>"Bliss," L said.  
>They sat together on the daybed and Misa drew the table over with the wave of her finger. L ate a few more sweets- with less drama than before- while his mother began to brush his unkempt hair. Watari sat beside L, purring softly. All three sat quietly for a while, listening to the birdsong from outside. The sun began to slip behind the trees, and the sky turned a burnt orange as the sun's bright rays lit the cold, frozen land they called home.<br>"Can you sing to me, my flower?" Misa asked. It was a tradition of theirs for L to sing a song while Misa brushed his hair (even though he always messed it up afterwards). He only knew one song- the song of the lawliet flower.  
>The lawliet flower was a type of magic flower that only grew once a year on the Rem tree deep in the enchanted forest. The flower was said to have panacea-type powers, and the song L sings is really the spell that awakens the flower within him. Misa told him he was born with the lawliet flower's power- that is ran through his veins- and whenever he sang that song, he could do anything.<br>"My hair will turn blue again, mother," L took another bite of his third lemon cupcake.  
>"But Misa <em>loves<em> when her flower sings," she pouted, "You haven't sung to me or Watari in a while, why is that?"  
>L noticed her hands looked old and wrinkled and he clinched his jaw. The lawliets' power was addictive, and Misa had a never-ending supply of it. That was something he absolutely detested about the witch. He averted his eyes from her wrinkled hands.<br>"I wish to see the world, mother."  
>"...Sing and I will show you my atlas—"<br>"—I don't want pictures," he said in angry monotone. L stood up and walked to the window; placing his hand on the fading blue silk curtains which drooped delicately on the marble floor, and looked longingly out into the golden sky, "I want to feel the sun on my skin, the grass on my feet, the rain splashing my face; I want to see the Kingdom, the people and the animals, those mountains...  
>… I want to meet someone special," he looked back at his mother, his cheeks a soft red, but his voice was still monotone, "I know they're out there and I know they have my heart."<br>"Your heart," Misa giggled, "Oh, L, what are you going on about?"  
>He ignored her, "It's the only thing I remember about my past- that there's someone in possession of 'my heart'. I don't know what it means, and it could just be a feeling, but I have to find them. I have to leave the tower."<br>"L, the world is too dangerous to go," she stood and ran towards her son, gripping onto his strong arms tightly, anger and fear forming in her eyes, "There are demons, goblins, ruffians, monsters, thugs- listen to your mother, my flower! Mother knows best!"  
>"No," he glared at her, "I appreciate the cakes and all you've done for me, but this is not what I want. I've stayed cooped up in this tower for eighteen years, I think it's time for me to go."<br>There was a long silence. Misa was obviously upset; she looked away from her son, her hands now clutching her own arms, hugging them tightly. She bit her bottom lip.  
>"I'll let you go," she said firmly, "but stay with me a while longer, please?"<br>"How long," L asked, letting his annoyance show in his voice.  
>"... Not too long.. maybe once this week is over?"<br>She whipped away a tear.  
>L's face softened, "Alright, then, mother," he held her close, "I'll wait a week. And don't worry, I'll visit you in your cottage"-Misa didn't live with him in the tower-"whenever I can."<br>Misa smiled bitter sweetly and sat on the windowsill. She brushed L's hair again.  
>"Sing to me."<br>L sang softly in a low, mellow voice that echoed off the tower walls and faded into the valley bellow, mixed with the sound of the last of the birdsong.

.

_Flower gleam and glow,_

_Let your powers shine,_

_Make the clock reverse,_

_Bring back what once was mine,_

_What once was mine..._

_._

"Why were you singing jus' now?" Matsuda asked, his face pudgy.  
>"'Cause that's how you find L, dumbass, I just told you!"<br>The three of them were sitting back in Mello's planted hut, the smell of herbs strongly filling their noses. Mello was telling them about the boy who was locked in a tower by a witch when he was young— which disappointed Matsuda greatly because he wanted to save a princess. The boy's name was L, and- like Light- he lost all his memories of his past. At that moment, the nymph was explaining to them how to find the boy.  
>"I think I've heard that song before," Light mused aloud.<br>Mello nodded, "No doubt. It's the spell of the lawliet flower; which I'm sure you must have heard of, Prince."  
>"Lawlie' flower? You mean like the legend," Matsuda asked.<br>"The lawliet flower is not a legend,"-sigh-"It's a very _real_ very _powerful_ flower that grows deep in the Enchanted Forest on a tree-god named Rem. It only grows in October, and has a magic that can cure all problems- except emotional ones, of course- but the magic will only work when you sing the spell.  
>"When they bloom it's the most beautiful thing in the world. They glow, the flowers' petals, and cast a sweet aroma around Rem. They come in many colors, but L's flower is blue."<br>"What do you mean 'L's flower'?" Light raised an eyebrow.  
>"L was born with the lawliet's power. The flower inside him is blue."<br>"There's a flower inside him," Matsuda attempted to smiled excitedly, but it came off squished and pitiful, "How weird!"  
>Mello smirked, "Well he is a little strange, I guess..."<br>"I'll bet! He must be if _you_ say so!"  
>The nymph glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean, you little piece of—"<br>"We're getting off topic," Light said angrily.  
>The nymph stood up and walked over to a hole cut into the floor of the planted hut- or, the trunk, rather. He disappeared down into the chamber.<br>"I have a map of the mines built along inside the canyon walls," he called, "They were made by dwarfs who dug for gems and such"-they heard a loud crash-"Shit! My foxglove!"  
>"Do you have any maps of Cibola?" Light called as he looked down into the chamber. It smelled of roots, dirt, more herbs, and old books. The thief could see rows and rows of shelves filled with scrolls and baskets of different plants that were kept fresh in the damp space. The walls of the chamber were carved and one could see through their translucent skin; the green flesh of the tree mixed with the moonlight outside, casting a dim light of green shadow all across the circular room, giving Mello enough light to see.<br>"Is that where you're headed to?" Mello looked up from where his place on the floor, "I only have maps of the forest, sorry, but I'm sure that witch, Misa, has tons of maps like that," the nymph pulled out a scroll from on of the shelves and unraveled it, revealing a beautifully painted map. He smiled as if the map held lovely memories.  
>"Yes. This is the one," he told no one in particular. He looked back up at the Prince of Thieves.<br>"Mind getting out of my way?" the blond grinned.  
>Light rolled his eyes and pulled away to give Mello room as the nymph crawled back to the main floor. Matsuda, wanting to be helpful, extended his hand to help Mello, but the other shrugged his kindness off and lifted himself up to the surface.<br>Mello laid the map the map out on the barky floor of the hut, brushing away leaves and berries to the side. The map was long and stained a dark cream color. A detailed painting of a maze of different routes covered the scroll; the routes labeled in Runic. It looked many years old, and Light felt as though the paper might crumble apart at being exposed to the fresh air.  
>On the map painted two blue boxes- one to the front and one to the back. Mello pointed to the front box.<br>"This is the entrance to the mine," he glanced at Matsuda to make sure the village idiot understood the simple directions. Matsuda nodded.  
>"The entrance is an uninhabited cave away from L's Tower, but it's the only way into the valley."<br>"Can't we just climb down?" Light questioned.  
>"Misa has put a spell around the valley. Humans can't get in."<br>"Why only humans..?"  
>"Misa hates humans."<br>Light and Matsuda looked at each other.  
>"But don't worry! She hates me more!" Mello laughed loudly.<br>Light frowned and Matsuda whimpered.  
>"Anyway.." the nymph pointed back to the map, "We enter the mine and follow this path," his finger zigzagged across the paper in one fast movement and landed on the back box which marked the exit, "And get out here."<br>"Wait- What?" Matsuda blinked.  
>The other two ignored him and began to pack up their things. Light threw on his cape and tied the bag that carried gold from the Ziggurat around his waist. Mello picked up a large leaf tied together with vines to make a backpack. He stuffed herbs and saps held in bowls into the pack, telling Matsuda they were for his face. Matsuda hurriedly put on his own cape to catch up.<br>"I-I still don't get it! Hey! What path!"  
>"Matsuda, get the lanterns," Light said.<br>Matsuda scowled but obediently did as Light commanded, "I don't know why you can't just tell me..."  
>They still ignored him and the three made their way out the hut.<br>The silver moon hung high above the setting sun in the dark, orange sky, and a symphony of crickets and frogs rung out. The grass was a deep emerald that glowed under the light, and the drops of dew on the blades shimmered in the like diamonds. The forest was pitch black besides for the dark green leaves of the plants.  
>"It's so beautiful," Matsuda gasped.<br>Mello snorted.  
>"Matsuda, shut up," Light warned his partner in a whisper.<br>The thieves climbed down the large tree. Mello, with his remark of "stupid humans" simply jumped down and hit the ground with grace. Matsuda clapped and the nymph bowed, happy at the attention.  
>"Come on, we don't have much time," Light said. The trio walked forward, Mello in the lead, and made their way into the dark forest. Matsuda turned on the lamps and gave one to the nude man. Together they all walked quietly in a line, the undergrowth tickling at their clothes and skin.<br>Soon they came to a small clearing in the woods. The sky had darkened to a dark purple and the moon loomed above them and created a soft glow on the trees and grasses. A cool breeze came, chilling Light's bones, and leaves hissed into the night as the blue grass waved like ripples in a pond. It looked similar to the place they just left, except here there was a large cave carved into the side of a hill that became a steep cliff. Next to the cave's gaping mouth was a little wooden sign. The same Runic letters on the map were painted on the wood, and, though Light could read it perfectly well, Mello translated aloud,

"Enter At Your Own Risk:

Death Awaits You— No Treasure Here"

"That wasn't in the brochure!" Matsuda cheered. He began to laugh at his own joke.  
>The nymph swaggered over to the cave, a lantern in his hand. Light followed by his side; Matsuda tagged along behind him, still laughing but looking cautiously into the darkness ahead of them.<br>The cave was blacker that black, the only source of light was the orange electric hue of the lanterns. Their footsteps echoed in the cave as they marched forward. Not too far ahead they came to a dead end. The map was wrong. It was useless to them.  
>Mello cursed under his breath and followed the cold rock wall to the right. Light and Matsuda were told to head left.<br>"I hate this- him ordering us around! I'm the Prince, I'm the one who does the ordering!" Light hissed when the nymph was out of earshot.  
>"You're not a <em>royal<em> prince, you just rule over Kira," Matsuda tried to reason. Light sent him a look that said he would gladly kill his partner at that moment. The other thief realized he didn't say the right thing and cowered behind his hands, "I-I-I mean he's 'he one with the map- and he seems 'o know where he's going- s-so..."  
>Light snorted, "'Seems to know where he's going", Matsuda?"<br>The person in question nodded.  
>"We're lost, you idiot. That map is wrong."<br>Matsuda opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped himself, not really wanting to argue with an irritated Light.  
>Light perked his ears up at the distant sound of a harp further down the tunnel.<br>"What's that?" he whispered. Matsuda raised an eyebrow. He didn't hear whatever his friend did. Light didn't wait for an answer and continued to slowly walk forward.  
>The walkway was dark and ominous, and the eerie music Light heard added to the creepy atmosphere of the abandoned tunnel.<br>"Maybe we should go back... Mello probably found the exit..." Matsuda said.  
>Light rolled his eyes and continued down the path. The music grew louder as they drew nearer. The light of the lantern was suddenly cut off when they came to the edge of a corner. The music echoed off the rocks around them.<br>"Is this the exit!" Matsuda cried happily. Light cut off his excitement with a sharp shush.  
>"Be quite you idiot," he warned, "We don't know who or what is past this wall- and it's definitely <em>not<em> the exit! Look! Do you see any light?"  
>Matsuda laughed and pointed at the Prince's handsome face, "Yeah! Right there!"<br>Light facepalmed.  
>"I didn't mean me"-sigh-"How about any fresh air, or a cool breeze- crickets?"<br>The other man peeked his head out of the corner, overlooking the empty and dark opening.  
>"No."<br>"You didn't have to actually look," the prince growled.  
>"I was just making sure! You never know with these things—"<br>"That's what I just _told_ you," Light was about to facepalm again until he stopped. He noticed something different.  
>The atmosphere in the tunnel, it was...<br>… quite.  
><em>There's no music.<em>  
>"—Aizawa says dwarf mines are very dangerous—"<br>_The music stopped._  
>"—there are traps everywhere! We could die at any given moment—"<br>_Did it hear us- whatever was playing the music?_  
>"—or be enchanted by a goddess and be forced to be her lovers for five years before finally—"<br>Light stepped away from the wall and looked down the dark corner, weary of what laid beyond the darkness.  
>"—and we might run into a cyclops—"<br>_Are they here?_ _Are they dangerous?_ he glared into the black space.  
>"—and a bag of winds—"<br>"Listen."  
>Matsuda stopped his rant and did as Light told him. He listened.<br>"I don't hear anything..." he said, confused.  
>"Be still," Light whispered, "It might see us."<br>"W-What might?"  
>"Who or whatever was playing that harp."<br>Matsuda sighed, "That again?"  
>Light spun around and glared at the other thief.<p>

"The harp that was just playing!"  
>"I never heard a harp, Light."<br>"Well, you're an idiot. It was being played pretty loud."  
>"No, Light—"<br>"'No", what!"  
>"I didn't hear any music playing," Matsuda said seriously, "There <em>wasn't<em>any music."

.

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* * *

><p><strong>Homer Here:<strong> I decided to cut it short for times' sake, and honestly because I hadn't even opened this document in, like, a month.

… Fuck the police…

UPDATE WILL BE CLOSE TO NEVER (jk? XD) **PLEASE **_**REVIEW**_**!**


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